Shoe sole with sizing indicators

Abstract

A shoe having an outsole with sizing indicators on the bottom of the outsole provides a shoe size indication system and methods useful for quickly and accurately measuring a person's foot to determine a proper shoe size to purchase. A shoe sizing indication system includes a heel placement indicator and shoe size indicator lines placed at distances from the heel placement indicator corresponding to standard shoe sizes. A shoe with shoe size indicators on the outsole allows quick, accurate, and convenient determination of a proper shoe size by customers without additional shoe fitting devices or materials or assistance by retail store personnel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe for determining a proper shoe size, comprising: 
 an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width;    a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion; and    a plurality of shoe size indicators located on at least a portion of the forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicators located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size.    
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the heel placement indicator is positioned on the outsole heel portion in alignment with proper placement of a heel inside the shoe.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shoe size indicators further comprises a line located across at least a portion of the width of the outsole forward portion.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are permanently integrated into the outsole.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are printed onto the outsole.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe further comprises a size and the size of the shoe is indicated on the shoe outsole.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are placed on each of a left shoe and a right shoe of a pair of shoes.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising a transparent material overlaying the outsole wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators can be seen through the material.  
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shoe size indicators comprises standard shoe sizes for a particular age group.  
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 9 , wherein the standard shoe sizes for a particular age group are gender-specific.  
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 10 , further comprising patterns having appeal to the age group and gender that would typically wear the shoe sizes thereon.  
     
     
         12 . A shoe for determining a proper shoe size, comprising: 
 an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width;    a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion in alignment with proper placement of a heel inside the shoe; and    a plurality of shoe size indicator lines located across at least a portion of the width of the forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicator lines located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size;    wherein the shoe further comprises a size and the size of the shoe is indicated on the shoe outsole;    wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicator lines are placed on each of a left shoe and a right shoe of a pair of shoes;    wherein the shoe sizes corresponding to the plurality of shoe size indicator lines comprises standard shoe sizes for a particular age group and gender; and    wherein the shoe further comprises patterns having appeal to the age group and gender that would typically wear the shoe sizes thereon.    
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 12 , further comprising a transparent material overlaying the outsole wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicator lines can be seen through the material.  
     
     
         14 . A shoe size indication system for determining a proper shoe size for a person's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width;    a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion; and    a plurality of shoe size indicators located on at least a portion of the outsole forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicators located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size;    wherein when the heel of the person's foot is aligned with the heel placement indicator and the person's toes are positioned to overlap the plurality of shoe size indicators, the shoe size indicator immediately beyond the end of the person's longest toe indicates the proper shoe size for the person's foot.    
     
     
         15 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the heel placement indicator is positioned on the outsole heel portion in alignment with proper placement of the person's heel inside the shoe.  
     
     
         16 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of shoe size indicators further comprises a line located across at least a portion of the width of the outsole forward portion.  
     
     
         17 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are permanently integrated into the outsole.  
     
     
         18 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are printed onto the outsole.  
     
     
         19 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the shoe further comprises a size and the size of the shoe is indicated on the shoe outsole.  
     
     
         20 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators are placed on each of a left shoe and a right shoe of a pair of shoes.  
     
     
         21 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , further comprising a transparent material overlaying the outsole wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators can be seen through the material.  
     
     
         22 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of shoe size indicators comprises standard shoe sizes for a particular age group.  
     
     
         23 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 22 , wherein the standard shoe sizes for a particular age group are gender-specific.  
     
     
         24 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 23 , further comprising patterns having appeal to the age group and gender that would typically wear the shoe sizes thereon.  
     
     
         25 . A shoe size indication system for determining a proper shoe size for a person's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width;    a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion in alignment with proper placement of a heel inside the shoe; and    a plurality of shoe size indicator lines located across at least a portion of the width of the forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicator lines located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size;    wherein when the heel of the person's foot is aligned with the heel placement indicator and the person's toes are positioned to overlap the plurality of shoe size indicators, the shoe size indicator immediately beyond the end of the person's longest toe indicates the proper shoe size for the person's foot;    wherein the shoe further comprises a size and the size of the shoe is indicated on the shoe outsole;    wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicator lines are placed on each of a left shoe and a right shoe of a pair of shoes;    wherein the shoe sizes corresponding to the plurality of shoe size indicator lines comprises standard shoe sizes for a particular age group and gender; and    wherein the shoe further comprises patterns having appeal to the age group and gender that would typically wear the shoe sizes thereon.    
     
     
         26 . The shoe size indication system of  claim 25 , further comprising a transparent material overlaying the outsole wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicator lines can be seen through the material.  
     
     
         27 . A method for determining a proper shoe size for a person's foot, the person's foot having a heel with a rear margin and toes with a forward margin, comprising: 
 providing a shoe comprising an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width, a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion, and a plurality of shoe size indicators located on at least a portion of the outsole forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicators located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size;    aligning the rear margin of the person's heel with the heel placement indicator;    positioning the person's toes to overlap the plurality of shoe size indicators; and    observing the location of the forward margin of the person's toes on the plurality of shoe size indicators;    wherein the shoe size indicator immediately beyond the end of the forward margin of the person's toes indicates the proper shoe size for the person's foot.    
     
     
         28 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 27 , wherein the heel placement indicator is positioned on the outsole heel portion in alignment with proper placement of the person's heel inside the shoe.  
     
     
         29 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 27 , wherein each of the plurality of shoe size indicators further comprises a line located across at least a portion of the width of the outsole forward portion.  
     
     
         30 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 27 , wherein the shoe further comprises a size and the size of the shoe is indicated on the shoe outsole.  
     
     
         31 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 27 , further comprising a transparent material overlaying the outsole wherein the heel placement indicator and the plurality of shoe size indicators can be seen through the material.  
     
     
         32 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of shoe size indicators comprises standard shoe sizes for a particular age group.  
     
     
         33 . The method for determining a proper size shoe for a person's foot of  claim 32 , wherein the standard shoe sizes for a particular age group are gender-specific.  
     
     
         34 . A method for determining a proper shoe size for a person's foot, the person's foot having a heel with a rear margin and toes with a forward margin, comprising: 
 providing a shoe comprising an outsole having a heel portion, a forward portion, a length, and a width, a heel placement indicator positioned on the heel portion in alignment with proper placement of the person's heel inside the shoe, and a plurality of shoe size indicator lines located on at least a portion of the outsole forward portion, each of the plurality of shoe size indicator lines located a distance from the heel placement indicator along the length of the outsole corresponding to a different shoe size and labeled with the corresponding shoe size, the shoe sizes corresponding to the plurality of shoe size indicator lines further comprising standard shoe sizes for a particular age group and gender, the shoe further comprising a size and the size of the shoe indicated on the shoe outsole;    aligning the rear margin of the person's heel with the heel placement indicator;    positioning the person's toes to overlap the plurality of shoe size indicators; and    observing the location of the forward margin of the person's toes on the plurality of shoe size indicators;    wherein the shoe size indicator immediately beyond the end of the forward margin of the person's toes indicates the proper shoe size for the person's foot.